Receiver and trigger-plate assembly for firearms



June 24, 1941.

J. E. BROWNING RECEIVER AND TEIGGER-PLATE ASSEMBLY FOR FIREARMS Filed March 21', 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l FY mm Om h June 24, 1 941. BROWNING 2,247,011

RECEIVER AND TRIGGER-PLATE ASSEMBLY FOR FIREARMS Filed March 21, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 24, 1941 hei ht? RECEIVER AND TRIGGER-PLATE ASSEMBLY FOR FIREARMS Jonathan E. Browning, Ogden, Utah, assignor to Western Cartridge Company,

New Haven,

15 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in firearms, and more particularly to improvements in the receiver and trigger-plate assembly of firearms.

As will be more fully apparent from the following, the present invention relates to construction features of the receiver proper and the so-called trigger-plate, which latter constitutes a removable feature of the receiver proper once assembled therewith.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a firearm with an improved receiver and trigger-plate construction, whereby the firearm may be conveniently and economically manufactured and still withstand excessive strains such as might be imposed upon it by its operation as an automatic firearm.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a superior firearm construction in which a relatively-long trigger-plate may be employed without sacrificing the necessary rigidity of the structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved receiver and trigger-plate assembly, whereby both of said elements mutually reinforce each other and thus enable the structures to be materially lighter in weight.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art and which are not claimed in any separate application.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of a firearm embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the portion of the firearm adjacent the receiver, save that the stock is shown in vertical central-longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is a View mainly in vertical centrallongitudinal section and partly in side elevation, and illustrating the interior of the receiver proper;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a top or plan view of the trigger-plate detached;

Fig. 8 is a View thereof in side elevation; and

Fig. 9 is a front-end view of the trigger-plate.

The firearm herein chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention includes a receiver 28 having rigidly attached to its forward end the rear end of a barrel 2 I, by providing the forward portion of the said receiver 2% with an internally-threaded socket 22 receiving the externally-threaded shank 23 of the barrel 2!, as is especially well shown in Fig. 3.

Attached to both the receiver 20 and the barrel 2! is a stock generally designated by the reference character 26 and including in the main a buttstock-portion 25 and a forestock-portion 26 (Fi 1).

The receiver 29 includes a rearwardly-anddownwardly-sloping top wall 21 which extends from the rear of the receiver forwardly about halfway the length thereof, so that its front edge constitutes a forwardly-facing breech-boltlocking abutment 23. The said abutment 28 is adapted to be engaged by a rearwardly-facing locking-abutment 28 formed upon the upper rear portion of a breech-bolt 38 which is adapted to reciprocate and oscillate in a bolt-receiving chamber 3i within the receiver 28 in a manner as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The breech-bolt 30 above referred to is, in the particular firearm illustrated in the accompanying drawings, actuated by an action-slide 32 which is reciprocatable longitudinally of the firearm by any approved means such, for instance, as a gas-actuated piston shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 136,523, filed April 13, 1937.

At its rear end the action-slide 32 has connected to it by means of a pivot-pin 33 an operating-link 36 which has its upper end, in turn, pivotally connected to the rear end of the breech-bolt to by means of apivot-pin 35. At its rear end the action-slide 32 has threadedly connected to it, a spring-guiding plunger 35 which extends rearwardly therefrom. The said plunger 36 is adapted to enter the interior of a tubular receiver-extension 3'! when the action-slide 32 is moved rearwardly to first rock the rear end of the breech-bolt 3d downwardly and subsequently move the same rearwardly within the bolt-receiving chamber 3i and the receiver iii.

A constant but yielding forward thrust is exerted upon the spring-guiding plunger 35 and hence the action-slide 32 by a helical breechclosing spring 38 which encircles the said springguiding plunger 36 and extends into the interior of the receiver-extension 31, as is indicated in Fig. 3. The forward end of the tubular receiverextension 37 is threaded into an internallythreaded bore in the substantiallywertical reach 39 of an L-shaped arm ll] fromed integral with and depending from the rear end of the receiver 20 and including also a substantially-horizontal reach ll.

The substantially-horizontal reach 5! of the L-shaped arm d8 of the receiver 20 is formed with a slightly-inclined internally-threaded bore .2 which intersects at its lower end a transverse locating-groove t3 formed in the under face of the said reach M, as is shown in Fig. 3. The transverse groove 33, just referred to, receives a transverse locating-rib 54 formed upon the upper face of the rear portion of the body-member 45 of a trigger-plate unit or assembly generally designated by the reference character 46. The body-member 45 of the trigger-plate unit 36 is preferably formed of forged steel and has rigidly attached to its forward end an extensionmember ll which is preferably formed of sheet metal.

The rear end of the body-member 45 of the trigger-plate unit .6 is secured to the receiver 28] by means of an attaching-screw 48 extending upwardly and slightly rearwardly through a passage 49 in the adjacent portion of the body-member 45 and into threaded engagement with the internally-threaded bore 42 in the substantially-horizontal reach it of the L-shaped arm as of the receiver 23. The lower end of the passage 49 is enlarged to form a counterbore 5i} accommodating the head of the attaching-screw 58 as is shown particularly well in Fig. 3.

The forward portion of the body-member 45 of the trigger-plate unit 16 is formed on its under side with an integral loop-like triggerguard 55 in which is located a trigger 52, by means of which latter the firearm may be discharged in any suitable manner not requiring detailed description herein, and in a manner such, for instance, as that shown and described in my copending application above referred to.

On its respective opposite sides at its forward upper portion, the body-member 45 of the triggerplate unit 4 6 is formed with recesses 53 and 5:1 into which fit respectively the rear ends of the sideplates 55 and 56 of the extension-member ll of the said trigger-plate unit 45. The said sideplates 55 and 58 are preferably secured to the body-member 45 by what amounts to copper soldering which is accomplished by interposing thin copper sheets between the parts and heating the same to melt the said copper. At their forward ends, the side-plates 55 and 56, just referred to, are integrally united by the transverse end-wall 5?, the upper edge of which is bent forwardly to provide an attaching-finger 53 engaging the under face of an attaching-lug 53 depending from the forward end of the receiver 29 and formed with a downwardly-opening threated bore (it.

Immediately below the attaching-lug 5% of the receiver 28, the forestock-portion 25 of the stock 24 is provided with an upwardly-opening recess 6% which provides for the accommodation of the head-end 82 of an attachin -screw {53 extending upwardly through the attaching-finger 58 of the trigger-plate unit Ni and into threaded engagement with the internally-threaded bore of) in the attaching-lug 58 of the receiver 29, as is shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

At its forward end and hence about midway the length of the entire trigger-plate unit 46, the body-member 45 of the latter is provided with an integral upstanding post 64 having a rounded upper rear corner constituting a cam-surface 65 adapted to be coacted by the opposed cam-surface $6 formed upon the under portion of the breechbolt as. The said post lit extends upwardly and snugly fits between the respective opposite side walls 67 and 63 of the receiver 20.

Extending transversely through the post 64 of the trigger-plate unit 4-6 and through the respective opposite side walls 6'! and E3 of the receiver is, is an anchor-pin 6b which acts to pin the central portion of the trigger-plate unit 56 and the central portion of the receiver 2%) together. In the particular construction shown, the anchorpin 59 is in the form of a screw having its head seated in an escutcheon Ml in one side of the stock 24 and having its opposite end threadly engaged with an escutcheon-like nut l! recessed into the opposite side wall of the said stock, as is particularly well shown in Fig. 5.

When the action-slide 32 is moved rearwardly by any suitable motivating force such, for instance, as the power developed by the discharge of the firearm, the lower end of the operating-link 34 will be correspondingly moved rearwardly with the effect first of drawing downwardly upon the rear portion of the breech-bolt 38 to disengage its locking-abutment 29 from the locking-abutment 28 of the receiver 253. As the rear end of the breech-bolt 3B is moved downwardly as just described, the cam-surface 56 thereof will be brought into engagement with the cam-surface 65 of the post 64, and the downward draft referred to, will be converted by the said cam-surfaces into a very powerful rearward movement of the said breech-bolt, thus enabling the extractor 12 thereof to free a cartridge-case from the cartridge-oham ber of the barrel 2! even should such cartridgecase be stuck, so to speak.

After the initial downward movement of the rear end of the breech-bolt SEE, as above described,

the operating-link 36 will by virtue of the further continued rearward movement of the action-slide 32, pull the said breech-bolt bodily rearwardly within the bolt-receiving chamber 3! in the receiver 2G to effect the extraction and ejection of the cartridge-case of the just fired cartridge. After the rearward force upon the action-slide 32 has ceased, the breech-closing spring 33 will assert itself and restore the breech-bolt and associated parts to the positions in which they are shown in the drawings.

Not only does the post 84 serve, in the instance shown, to provide a cam-surface for coaction with the breech-bolt 38, but it also serves to stabilize the intermediate portion of the trigger-plate unit 4i; and prevent the undue flexing of the same as an incident to the shocks developed when the firearm is discharged, but also guards against the flexing action which might occur when a magazine of the box-magazine type, for instance, is hastily inserted upwardly between the laterally spaced-apart side-plates 55 and 56 of the sheetmetal extension-member 41 of the trigger-plate unit (it.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and: not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A firearmconstruction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end. and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a breech-bolt reciprocatable in the said breech-bolt-receiving chamber; a triggerplate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged substantially coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said coextending triggerplate unit being provided intermediate its respective opposite ends with an upstanding post projecting between the side-walls of the said receiver adjacent the path of the said reciprocatable breech-bolt; and fastening-means securing to the said receiver the portion of the post of the said trigger-plate unit projecting between the side-walls of the said receiver.

2. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a breech-bolt reciprocatable in the said breech-bolt-receiving chamber; a triggerplate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged substantially coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said coextendin trigger-plate unit being provided intermediate its respective opposite ends with an upstanding post projecting between the side-walls of the said receiver adjacent the path of the said reciprocatable breech-bolt; and fasteningmieans extending transversely of the said receiver and securing thereto the portion of the post of the said trigger-plate unit projecting between the side-walls thereof.

3. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a breech-bolt reciprccatable in the said breech-bolt-receiving chamber; a trigger-plate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged substantially coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said ooextending trigger-plate unit being provided intermediate its respective opposite ends with an upstanding post projecting between the side-walls of the said receiver adjacent the path of the said reciprocatable breech-boit; and an anchoring-pin extending through the side-walls of the said receiver and through the portion of the post of the said trigger-plate unit extending between the said side-walls and serving to anchor the intermediate portion of the said trigger-plate unit rigidly to the said receiver 4. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having sidewalls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a breech-boit reciprocatable in the said breech-bolt -receiving chamber; a triggerplate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged substantially coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said coextending trigger-plate unit being provided intermediate its respective opposite ends with an upstanding post projecting between the side-walls of the said receiver adjacent the path of the said reciprocatable breech-bolt; fastening-means securing to the said receiver the portion of the post of the said trigger-plate unit projecting between the sidewalls of the said receiver; and means attaching each of the respective opposite end-portions of the said coextending trigger-plate unit to the respective opposite end-portions oi the said receiver independently of the means engaging the upstanding post thereof.

5. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls; and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a breech-bolt reciprocatable in the said breech-bolt-receiving chamber; a triggerplate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged substantially coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said coextending triggenplate unit being provided intermediate its respective opposite ends with an upstanding post projecting between the side-Walls of the said receiver adjacent the path of the said reciprocatable breech-bolt; fastening-means extending transversely of the said receiver and securing thereto the portion of the post of the said triggerplate unit projecting between the side-walls thereof; and substantially-vertical attachingnieans securing each of the respective opposite end-portions of the said coextending triggerplate unit to the respective opposite end-portions of the said receiver independently of the transversely-extending means attaching the post of the said trigger-plate unit. to the said receiver.

6. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-recciving chamber therein; a breech-bo1t reciprocatable in the said breechboltneceiving chamber; a triggerplate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged substantiaily coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said coextending trigger-plate unit being provided intermediate its respective opposite ends with an upstanding post projecting between the side-walls of the said receiver adjacent the path of the said reciprocatable breech-bolt; an anchoring-pin extending transversely through the side-Walls of the said receiver and through the portion of the post of the said trigger-plate unit extending between the said side-walls and serving to anchor the intermediate portion of the said trigger-plate unit rigidly to the said receiver; and attaching-means securing each of the respective opposite endportions of the coextending trigger plate unit to the respective opposite end-portions of the said receiver independently of the said transverselyextending anchoring-pin.

'7. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a breech-bolt reciprocatable in the said breech-bolt-receiving chamber; a stock embracing the exterior of the side-wails of the said receiver; a trigger-plate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged substantially coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said coextending trigger-plate unit being provided intermediate its respective opposite ends with an upstanding post projecting into the breech-bolt-receiving chamber in the said receiver adjacent the path of the said reciprocatable breech-bolt; and an anchoring-pin extending transversely through the stock, the said receiver, and the upstanding post of the trigger plate unit to secure all three said elements together.

8. A firearm-construction including in combination a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a breech-bolt reciprocatable in the said breech-bolt-receiving chamber; a stock embracing the exterior of the side-walls of the said receiver; a trigger-plate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged substantially coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said coextending trigger-plate unit being provided intermediate its respective opposite ends with an upstanding post projecting into the breech-bolt-receiving chamber in the said receiver adjacent the path of the said reciprocable breech-bolt; an anchoring-pin extending transversely through the said stock, the said receiver, and the uptsanding post of the trigger-plate unit to secure all three said elements together; and subtsantially-vertical attaching-screws respectively attaching each of the respective opposite ends of the said coextending trigger-plate unit to the re pective opposite end-portions of the said receiver independently of the said anchoringmin.

9. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a trigger-plate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged substantially coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said coextending trigger-plate unit comprising a body-member provided adjacent its forward end with an upstanding post projecting between the side walls of the said receiver and being also provided. with an extension-member projecting forwardly from the said body-member and having two spaced-apart side-plates providing a magazine-receiving passage between the respective opposite ends of the said side-plates of the extension-member; and fastening-means securing to the said receiver the upstanding post adjacent the forward end of the body-member and rearwardly of the extension-member of the said trigger-plate unit.

10. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a trigger-plate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged substantially coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said coextending trigger-plate unit comprising a body-member provided adjacent its forward end with an upstanding post projecting between the side walls of the said receiver and being also provided with an extension-member projecting forwardly from the said body-member and having two spaced-apart side-plates providing a magazine-receiving passage and an attaching-finger projecting forwardly therefrom; fastening-means securing to the said receiver the upstanding post adjacent the forward end of the body-member and rearwardly of the extension-member of the said trigger-plate unit; and an attaching-screw passing upwardly through the attaching-finger extending forwardly of the magazine-receiving passage of the extension-member of the triggerplate unit.

11. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a trigger-plate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and constructed and arranged ubstantially coextensive in length to the length of the said receiver, the said coextending trigger-plate unit comprising a body-member provided adjacent its forward end with an upstanding post projecting between the side walls of the said receiver and being also provided with a sheet-metal extension-member projecting forwardly from the said body-member to which it is rigidly attached by solder or the like and having two spaced-apart side-plates providing a magazine-receiving passage between them, the said extension-member also having an integral attaching-finger extending forwardly of the magazine-receiving passage provided between the spaced-apart side-plates thereof; fasteningmeans securing the upstanding post of the bodymember of the said trigger-plate unit to the said receiver; and an attaching-screw extending through the attaching-finger of the extensionmember of the said trigger-plate unit into threaded engagement with the adjacent portion of the said receiver.

12. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a breech-bolt mounted in the breech-bolt-receiving chamber of the said receiver with capacity for both reciprocation and rocking movement therein and provided on its under side with a cam-surface; a trigger-plate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and provided with anupstanding post projecting into the breech-bolt-receiving chamber of the said receiver and having a camsurface for engagement by the cam-surface of the said breech-bolt; and fastening-means engaging both the said receiver and the upstanding post of the said trigger-plate unit to secure the latter to the said receiver.

13. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein, a breech-bolt mounted in the breech-bolt-receiving chamber of the said receiver with capacity for both reciprocation and rocking movement therein and provided on its under side with a cam-surface; a trigger-plate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and provided with an upstanding post projecting into the breech-bolt-receiving chamber of the said receiver and having a cam-surface for engagement by the cam-surface of the said breech-bolt; and fastening-means extending transversely of the said receiver and securing thereto the portion of the post of the said triggerplate unit projecting between the side-walls thereof to directly absorb the deflecting forces occurring when the said breech-bolt engages the said post.

14. A firearm-construction including in combination: a receiver having side-walls and an open lower end and also having a breech-bolt-receiving chamber therein; a breech-bolt mounted in the breech-bolt-receiving chamber of the said receiver with capacity for both reciprocation and rocking movement therein and provided on its under side with a cam-surface; a triger-plate unit forming a bottom for the open lower end of the said receiver and provided with an upstanding post projecting into the hreech-bolt-receiving chamber of the said receiver and having a camsurface for engagement by the cam-surface of the said breech-bolt; and an anchoring-pin extending transversely through the side-walls of the said receiver and through the portion of the post of the said trigger-plate unit extending between the said side-walls and serving to hold the said post against downward deflection when the projecting into the breech-bolt-receiving chamber in the said receiver; a breech-bolt mounted in the breech-bolt-receiving chamber of the said receiver with capacity for both reciprocation and. rocking movement therein and provided with a cam-surface; and an anchoring-pin extending transversely through the said stock, the said receiver and the upstanding post of the triggerplate unit to secure all three of the said elements 10 together.

JONATHAN E. BROWNING. 

